The old Master was already walking away, clearly wanting to escape this uncomfortable situation.

Maya had no choice but to follow him, though she shot one last venomous look at Heena before turning.

---

’’[Private Conversation]’’

As soon as they were gone, Samuel’s hand dropped from Heena’s shoulder and he stepped back to a more appropriate distance.

"That," he said quietly, "was poorly handled on your part."

Heena looked at him and shrugged, pulling his outer robe more tightly around herself. "Was it? I thought it was quite effective."

"Effective at what? Making enemies?"

"I already had those enemies," Heena pointed out. "What I did was establish that I won’t be cowering or playing the subservient daughter-in-law role. Better to set the tone immediately than try to change it later."

Samuel studied her face. "You deliberately came out dressed like that, didn’t you? You heard Maya shouting and saw an opportunity."

Heena smiled slightly. "Maybe. Or maybe I really was just worried about the shouting and rushed out without thinking. Who can say?"

"I can say," Samuel replied. "Because I’m beginning to understand how your mind works."

He crossed his arms. "You wanted my father to see you like that. You wanted to make it absolutely clear that you’re mine now, not available to him, forever out of reach. You were rubbing his failure in his face."

Heena didn’t deny it. "And what if I was? He’s a disgusting old man who was harassing a servant girl. He deserves worse than a little psychological torment."

Samuel was quiet for a moment, then said, "You’re not wrong. But you’re also playing a dangerous game. My father has resources and connections. Maya has influence over him. If you push too hard, too fast—"

"Then they’ll what?" Heena interrupted. "I’m your legal wife now. Anything they do to harm me reflects on you and on this family’s reputation. They can’t just make me disappear or have an ’accident’ without serious consequences."

She looked at him seriously. "I understand that you prefer subtle, long-term strategies. And I’ll follow your lead in most things. But I’m not going to spend every day walking on eggshells and pretending to be intimidated by them. That’s not who I am."

Samuel sighed. "I’m beginning to realize that."

He turned toward the door of their room. "Come inside. We need to have a real conversation about expectations and boundaries. And you need to actually get dressed properly."

Heena followed him into the room, closing the door behind them.

"So," she said, starting to remove the nightclothes now that they had privacy, "what are the actual rules of this arrangement? What do you expect from me as your wife?"

Samuel had politely turned his back while she changed, staring at the wall with determination.

"I expect... discretion. Intelligence. The ability to read situations and adapt. Which you clearly have."

He paused. "I expect you to support my goals of eventually taking control of this household and the family business. Which means sometimes playing politics, sometimes being subtle, sometimes being bold—whatever the situation requires."

"And in exchange?" Heena asked, now decent in a simple day dress. "What do I get besides legal protection?"

Samuel turned back around. "Information. Resources, as I’m able to provide them. Training in household management and business matters. And eventually, when I do take control, you’ll have real power and authority."

Heena considered this. "And the... personal aspects of marriage?"

Samuel’s face immediately reddened slightly. "We don’t need to... I mean, that’s not necessary for... we can maintain separate sleeping arrangements if—"

"Relax," Heena said, amused by his obvious discomfort. "I’m not interested in that either. I’m just clarifying the terms."

Samuel looked relieved. "Good. Then we understand each other."

"One more thing," Heena said. "I want access to information. About the household finances, about your father’s business dealings, about Maya’s background. Everything you know."

Samuel raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because knowledge is power," Heena said simply. "And I can’t help you achieve your goals if I don’t understand the full situation."

Samuel studied her for a long moment, then nodded slowly.

"Alright. But this goes both ways. I want to know who you really are. Where you came from. Why a servant girl has the education, intelligence, and strategic thinking of someone who’s been trained in politics and warfare."

Heena smiled. "That’s a much longer story. And one I’m not ready to tell yet."

"Then we have a problem," Samuel said. "Because I don’t work with people I don’t trust. And I can’t trust someone who won’t be honest with me."

They stared at each other, both unwilling to back down.

Finally, Heena said, "How about this: I’ll tell you my story piece by piece, as we work together and as I learn to trust you. And in exchange, you give me the information I need, also piece by piece."

Samuel considered this. "A gradual exchange of trust and information?"

"Exactly."

He nodded slowly. "I can work with that. But understand—if I discover you’re actively working against me or my interests, this arrangement ends immediately."

"Fair enough," Heena said. "The same goes for me. If you betray me or put me in danger unnecessarily, I’m gone."

They shook hands on it—a formal, businesslike gesture that somehow felt more binding than their wedding vows had been.

"So," Heena said, "where do we start?"

Samuel walked to a small chest in the corner of the room and pulled out a rolled document.

"We start with this. The household’s financial records for the past three years. I’ve been keeping copies secretly."

He handed it to Heena. "Read through this. Then we’ll talk about what you notice."

Heena took the document, genuinely impressed. "You’ve been planning this for a while."

"Since the day my mother died and I realized my father couldn’t be trusted to preserve what she built," Samuel said quietly. "I’ve been preparing for years. I just needed the right partner to help me execute the plan."

He looked at her seriously. "I think you might be that partner. But we’ll see."

Heena smiled. "Yes. We’ll see."

As she sat down to read through the financial records, the System appeared briefly, invisible to Samuel, and gave her a thumbs up.

’Good job, Host,’ the System’s voice said in her mind. ’You’re doing well.’

’I know,’ Heena thought back. ’Now let me work.’

Outside the room, Maya stood in her own quarters, absolutely seething with rage.

"That little bitch," she muttered to herself. "Walking around half-dressed, calling me ’Mother’ like it’s an insult, acting like she owns this place..."

Her personal maid Meili—still recovering from the slaps Heena had given her—said quietly, "Mistress, perhaps we should wait. Let things calm down before—"

"NO," Maya snapped. "I’m not waiting. That girl is a threat to everything. She needs to be removed. Permanently."

She began pacing. "But we need to be smart about it. We can’t just attack directly anymore. She’s the young master’s legal wife now. Anything obvious would cause scandal."

She stopped pacing and turned to Meili with a calculating expression.

"We need to destroy her reputation. Make Samuel regret marrying her. Make the entire household see her as unworthy."

Meili nodded nervously. "How, Mistress?"